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December 30, 2015

Aaaahh! The end of the year has arrived!! I cannot believe how quick this year has come and gone! So many things I wish I would have embraced and done. Oh well...on to the next year! No "what if's" or "I should have's". Things I want to do, will be done.

Looking back at this year, I have had many blessings and opportunities. I thank God for blessing my family and I with good health and everything we have is because of Him. We are truly blessed. I'm definitely looking forward in seeing what 2016 has in store.

Cheers to you all and let's welcome 2016 with open arms!

God. Above all Him. I know what my beliefs are. I admit in distancing myself and letting my relationship with Him become faint. I want to re-establish my relationship and I want my little family to build their own relationship with Him as well.

Travel. Whether it's to another city or state, heck-even another town. The Hubs and I have decided we would travel. I gave him a map for our anniversary and we've pinned the places we have traveled to, together as a couple and family. My goal in 2016 is to get a lot more pinned off! Experiencing all that is around us. I want M to know that there is a GINORMOUS world to explore!!

Me. I'm a wife. I'm a mom. I'm a sister. I'm a daughter. I'm also just me! In 2016, I want to make time for myself. From getting my hair done to going out for coffee to working out. I think it's so important to make time for YOU and finding a balance between being everything else. Most of the time, I have my hair in a messy bun, no make up and flip flops on. Not that anything is wrong with that but I also need to find time to doll up. I want to make time and go to happy hour with my girlfriends or get my nails done. 2016, I'm coming for ya-lipstick on, hair curled and all!!!

Cook. No excuses! We spend so much money on eating out. I don't even want to think about it. I was gifted a crock-pot for Christmas and plan to use the heck out of it in 2016. Set it and forget it! I have a menu planner and I don't use it or stick to it as often as I should. Cheers to frugal eating in 2016!

Date. With the Hubs of course! We have such busy lives that sometimes we forget to take a step back and appreciate what or in this instance "who" is next to us. Before M it was just the Hubs and I. I will say, and he'll agree, that I tend to brush him off when it comes to just us two. So, in this coming year, I vow to spend more "us" time...and find a sitter for M :)

Scrapbook. I have piles of stickers, tons of paper and an even bigger amount of scrapbooks...that are empty!!! Yes. I buy cute card stock and stickers with the intent of scrapbooking and never do! That my friends, will all change. Starting January 1st, I, Stephanie, will begin my scrapbooking journey. The Hubs has threatened to throw everything out otherwise. I've even bought some new gadgets and embellishments to help get this journey started.

Grow the Blog. I went into blogging because I love reading blogs and writing has always been a passion of mine. I love being able to share my experiences and thoughts with you all. Some of you don't know this but I do maintain a full time job outside of blogging and mommy life. I hope to dedicate more time to this blog and produce more blog content for you.

December 23, 2015

Not gonna lie...I was a bit more conscious of what I wore this weekend. I blame it on this link up but I'm 100% okay with that. I'm in scrubs during the week for work so I love dressing up on the weekends. Heck, I'm fine in leggings too! This past weekend was loads of fun! Full of festivities!! Kept us pretty busy.

We went to a Christmas party on Friday. Requirement: ugly Christmas sweater. Well, I didn't get around to buying a sweater so I opted for a Christmas tee instead. I found it in the men's section so since it was a bit long and I was able to pair it with leggings and boots.

Saturday morning was super nice! I opened the windows to let the crisp morning air in. Such a nice sunny morning that I decided to bring my coffee outside while Lola got to run around a bit in the backyard.

We went to a parranda this weekend {Puerto Rican version of Christmas caroling}. They are always such a fun time! Full of dancing, food and drinks!!

I wanted warmth and comfort since I knew we were going to be standing pretty much the entire time. The parranda we went to was in a garage type area so it was a bit chilly. I wore a light sweater {i later realized i didn't get a picture! linked it down below though!} kept me warm enough to be comfortable and the flats I chose were a perfect combo!

Sunday Funday! Two of our friends collaborated and started a party bus business. I am so happy and proud of this new venture for them both. I know it will be a great success! As a special event, they hosted a private party. For your next party adventure contact ThunderDome Party Bus! [more info coming soon!]

Just a few more days till Christmas. We finally finished our holiday gift shopping and now all that is left is wrapping. I don't know what's worse...shopping during the holidays or wrapping gifts. So time consuming!

I don't know where you live but here in Central Texas it is once again warm {sad face} I'm talking about 70 degree weather. Where is winter?! The evenings and mornings tend to be pretty cool ranging between 40 to 50 degrees. Perfect for opening the window and letting the cool breeze in. Sippin' on coffee or hot cider make it just so much better!

Family movie nights are a must in our house during the holidays. We love gathering around in our pj's and watching Christmas movies. Especially M. Since he's on holiday break he gets to stay up a bit later than norm...he thinks it's soooo cool haha

These are our family favorites during the Christmas season. I recommend them all! :)

Home Alone : this has always been a must watch for my family during the holidays. I remember watching this on multiple occasions during Christmas "ya filthy animal" [i need to purchase this movie!!]

A Christmas Story : this is the Hubby's favorite Christmas movie. M watched it for the first time last year and loved it as well!

Elf : funny and full of Christmas spirit! A favorite!!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas : this is my favorite! I grew up watching it and introduced it to M at an early age. While they have the "real" version the cartoon is my favorite!!

Rise of the Guardians : this one is fairly new. Good story line for the kiddos. M loves to watch it! His favorite character in it is Jack Frost :)

Christmas Classics : these are all great for any age group! We {my siblings and I} grew up watching these. I think my dad still has them on VHS. So happy to have found the set and pass it on to M. He watches them throughout the year too! Rudolph is a favorite of ours!!

Do you have a Christmas movie favorite? I know there are TONS of Christmas movies out there. Leave yours in the comments below!

December 18, 2015

This year we did the Elf on the Shelf a bit different. I don't feel to crazy about the Elf getting into "trouble" during the night. I just didn't like the message it gave to M even if he thought the shenanigans were funny. I wanted a more positive message.

Anyhoo...so this year we decided to do the Kindness Elf tradition as an alternative to the Elf on the Shelf. Nice deeds during the holiday season and I can even take it out during the year if I want to.

I brought out the elf on December 1st along with a little welcome note and a special 'North Pole' breakfast. I explained how the Kindness Elf worked...acts of kindness to family members and/or friends along with others in need. The elf also brings words of encouragement and shares the meaning of Christmas. M also got to name the elf...everyone, meet Jack!

For those wondering I got Jack at Target...he originally had long braided hair but I cut it off with scissors to make it look more like a boy! Ta-da!! We had a similar elf last year but Lola ate its head...it was sad day at our house. She's learned better and doesn't bother with Jack this year.

Our first breakfast with Jack consisted of waffles and sprinkles, especially brought from the North Pole! {i totally picked out the red and green sprinkles from a mix i have..oh the joy} M loved it!! The plate is from Target and the reusable Christmas napkin I found on Etsy a few years ago.

Some of the things we've done is make Christmas ornaments for our family and friends, we've picked an Angel from the gift tree at the mall, emphasized the importance of brushing your teeth along with bunches more!

I thought I'd share with you what is planned for the last week leading up to Christmas Day!

December 16, 2015

We had a pretty quiet yet busy weekend. Did some Christmas gift shopping, ate breakfast with Santa, dinner date with the Mr. and took pictures with Santa...again.

I've linked up with The Pleated Poppy for "what i wore". It's my first time being a part of this and I'm pretty excited to share my outfits with you...I know I get a bunch of outfit ideas from other bloggers and I hope to give you a bit of fashion inspiration as well!! Stay tuned every Wednesday for outfit details! Let's get to it...

We had a gloomy Saturday here in Central Texas and all I want to do on gloomy days is stay in my pjs and watch movies. Since M had breakfast with Santa at his school, that wasn't something I could actually do. I opted for all day comfort....leggings! I love leggings and Old Navy has affordable plus quality leggings I love!

Ya'll this outfit is super comfortable. It was like wearing my pjs but looking a lot more presentable :)

The weather on Sunday was a tad bit cooler, which I loved! It was great for taking pictures with Santa because it actually looked like it was cold here! haha gotta take what we get!!

I love shopping at stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I always end up finding the cutest items! I came across this super soft and warm flannel top at Marshalls and just had to get it. It was perfect for the weather we were having.

After a long day out shopping and visiting with Santa we lounged at home and it was utter perfection!! I received a leggings and tank lounge set for my birthday and decided it was the perfect time to try them on. The socks were a gift too-they are super soft and warm!

December 14, 2015

This year we decided to do most of our Christmas gift shopping online. Mainly Amazon to be exact. Let me tell ya...I am addicted!!! My addiction started Black Friday, continued to Cyber Monday and well, here are...still shopping. We are subscribed to Amazon Prime {which I totally recommend} so we get exclusive deals along with free 2-day shipping. SCORE! Needless to say, we are pretty much done with our shopping thanks to Amazon.

Have you started your shopping yet or are you done? I've put together a few items that you can find for Prime shipping on Amazon or items that you can get on expedited shipping if need be. Hope they give you some ideas or point you in the right direction! *happy shopping!!!

1. Druzy Teardrop Earrings : druzy everything is so pretty! These are perfect for some added bling. The shop owner is super great to work with as well. She also has a special listing for expedited shipping in her shop.

2. Sugar Plum 2016 Planner : love a monthly and weekly planner. This one is such a great size because it's easy to tote around. The kraft background and gold dots are super cute too!

3. Plain Scarf Shawl : it's all about the blanket scarves this season. Perfect accessory and many colors to choose from.

4. Thermal Mug : travel mugs are so practical and always welcome, at my house anyway. This one is cute and has an open/close slider for easy and safe usage.

5. Flannel Pajama Set : pajamas are the best and when they are flannel they are even better! Nothing better than comfy, warm pajamas for the cold winter nights.

6. Makeup Brush Set : no one can have too many makeup brushes. This set covers every makeup need!

7. Marc Jacobs Gift Set : these mini scents are great! This variety set is perfect for travel and they all smell amazing!!

6. Pro Mini Basketball Hoop : this is such a great gift! M got one last year and he plays with it all the time. The Hubs enjoys it as well :)

7. Pie Face Game : this is such a great game for children of any age. Will get many laughs and surprises!

I hope these gave you some ideas if you have yet to get gifts for family and/or friends. If you haven't tried Amazon Prime be sure to check them out! They offer a limited day trial as well!! Great for the holiday season.

December 1, 2015

Christmas is here!!! Well, not exactly Christmas Day but I can finally start decorating and listening to Christmas music....oh how I love this time of year. I know some of you have already decorated...way before Thanksgiving but I like to go one holiday at a time. We usually bring everything out the first weekend in December...including our Kindness Elf {I'll discuss him in another post}.

December 1st also marks the day of my birth! You heard it-I turn another year older...and wiser :) I've really been into themed parties lately and am planning a very "cozy" one to celebrate my birthday this weekend. I mean if kiddos can have themed parties why can't adults, right?! You will hear all about it next week. Stay tuned!

This birthday got me thinking of things I wanted to accomplish, experience, learn, do-you get the picture. I decided to create a bucket list. I made it strictly for this birthday year, keeping it pretty realistic...things that I know I can actually cross off and say they have been done. Nothing crazy like backpacking in Europe...although that is on a different list.

Do you have a bucket list? I have several. We try to make one every summer as a family and then we have a couples/family one in general-more so of places we want to travel or landmarks we want to visit.

November 20, 2015

I'm a sucker for cute dainty things. Especially jewelry and if it's for a good cause. Add a cute little animal bead to it and I'm sold!

photo via website

I recently heard about Trrtlz Bracelets. Think colorful, friendship bracelets. They come in a variety of colors from white to purple to multi. Each color represents something as well, ranging from things like love to peace. As the colors on the beads fade they represent your adventure. I love the "meaning" that these beads have. Be adventurous and spread that journey among others. Share your adventure, your memories. Make an impression on life. The company also donates to charities and foundations. Even better! You
know that by purchasing one or two or more, you will be helping great
causes.

On their website they go along saying that these beads are meant to be shared. Yay! Sharing is caring, y'all!! By giving someone a faded beaded bracelet you are sharing your adventures with them and are asking that they take a part of you on their own adventure. Giving someone a brand new, brightly colored bracelet, you are asking they begin a journey all on their own....maybe you'll even get a faded bracelet back at some point! :)

These are some of the colors and their meanings:

blue-cool

green-balance

multi-friendship

red-love

pink-hope

white-peace

yellow-freedom

purple-loyalty

orange-bold

They also have different beads such as owlz, monkeyz, elephantz and a few more. I love the turtles and elephants! So cute!! You can find these bracelets at Target, Micheals, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, JCP and a bunch of other locations.

Now the giving! I want to give YOU a chance to begin an adventure. My favorite color/meaning that these provide is FREEDOM. You have the freedom to live, to choose, to be happy. I invite you to get out and make memories. I will be randomly choosing 2 lucky winners and giving them each a yellow{freedom} Trrtlz Bracelet along with a color of their choice to pass along to someone else.

You MUST subscribe(don't forget to confirm the subscription) to the email list at the top right corner and then leave a comment below stating what your next adventure will be and who you plan to give your bracelet to. GOOD LUCK!

November 18, 2015

Our weekend camping trip finally happened! We have had this in the books for several weeks and I can't believe it's come and gone. Sadly we were only able to spend one night at the campgrounds because it ended up raining pretty bad and the temperature dropped. We just weren't fully prepared for it. Bummer. Nonetheless, we made the most of our time.

I'm a Pinterest addict {they say the first step is admitting your problem} and while looking for camp activities, I came across a bunch of scavenger hunts for the kiddos. Such a fun idea! I feel like this would make our walks a lot more entertaining. I ended up creating my own and gluing it to brown paper bags. Easy peasy.

sadly we didn't get to go on a hike because of the rain :(

Since we had planned for only the weekend, we didn't have to prep a whole lot. Because we left Friday evening, right after work, we wanted something quick and easy for dinner. Nothing says camp food better than chili! I found this super easy recipe on Pinterest and knew it would be perfect! *I did add a couple more ingredients but they are definitely optional

Ingredients

1.5-2 1b ground beef

Seasoning for ground beef [optional]

1 small onion, chopped

3 cans of Rotel, drained

2 can of beans [black or kidney or both], drained

2-3 tbsp Chili Powder

2 tsp chili flakes [optional]

First you brown the ground beef and season. Drain and add onion.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 20-25 minutes or until onion and beans are tender.

i didn't drain my beans or Rotel like the original recipe called for. it did thicken the following day.

Serve and enjoy! We ate ours with crackers but I'm thinking corn bread next time! YUM!!

Since I made the chili the night before and bagged enough for the Mr. and myself. We cooked it on our camp stove and it was just as good as the first night.

M ate at home before we left and ended up knocking out as soon as we set up the tent.

The following morning the Mr. and M went fishing. While they did their father/son bonding, I stayed back with Lola and we went on a little walk. It was such a beautiful crisp Fall morning.

isn't this view gorgeous?! so peaceful!

We finished our walk a bit early so I figured it was the perfect time for some reading. It was so nice to just get away and do absolutely nothing. Peace and quiet...perfect!

After the boys returned we had breakfast. I had sliced up turkey franks ahead of time and used those with scrambled eggs. Breakfast was served! I made coffee too! I'm not a fan of instant coffee so I bought a pourover to make ours. It was pretty easy to use: filter, ground coffee and boiling water. I was skeptical to use it but the coffee came out great!!

It was so fun to relax and be disconnected from everything else. We had some friends come out and join us as well. It was such a great time, despite the rain we got later!

The boys had a great time gathering wood for the fire, telling stories and roasting marshmallows. All in all a fun weekend trip! Definitely a place we plan to come back to in the Spring and Summertime.

Have you been camping with your family? I'd love to hear your stories, tips and campfire recipes!!

October 31, 2015

With the weather finally getting cooler we can start bringing out the cold weather foods! The Mr. doesn't care much for soups so it's very rare that I come across a recipe that he enjoys. I few years ago I came across a delicious recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. I've been making it ever since and have tweaked it just a tad to our liking.

It's perfect for the cooler temps, Mexican night or just a quick weeknight meal.

Combine the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and taco seasoning in a pot over medium heat. Whisk together.

Add onion, tomatoes, beans, corn and chiles. Stir until blended.

Shred the rotisserie chicken and add to the soup mixture. Stir. [You can most definitely make and shred your own chicken. I prefer rotisserie because of the convenience and it gives an added flavor to the soup.]

Cook for about 20-30 minutes over medium heat while stirring often.

And there you have it! It's a super easy and quick soup with loads of flavor! Husband and kid approved at our house!

We typically add shredded cheese and tortilla chips to ours. If we have avocados we add that as well.

Yum! Definitely a favorite for these cool weather nights! Let me know if you try it and what you think in the comments below. Enjoy!!!

October 29, 2015

Every now and then a girl needs some time with her girlfriends. Away from reality. Away from the little ones. Away from the Mr. Away from life. Just you and your girls...and maybe some wine.

When a close friend announced that she wanted to go to New Orleans for her bachelorette party, I was already packing my bags. This momma needed a break! So off we went...2 cars, 11 ladies and the adventures awaiting.

We left early on a Friday morning. Way before the sun went up. I was still half asleep. It was the perfect time to leave though...we beat morning traffic and that made things easier on the road. Does anyone else love road trips as much as I do? They are so much fun and you get to bond and create memories with the ones you travel with. Love it!!

What happens on the road STAYS ON THE ROAD...needless to say we had many laughs...serious thoughts...silent moments...and more laughs.

meet S.Monaaay...sing-a-longs...yes we had props.

Lucky for us we didn't have bad weather while driving. It was pretty great! The drive from Austin to NOLA is a pretty easy one. About an 8-9 hour drive. We arrived at our destination and checked into our bed and breakfast. There were two groups of us staying in different places. We stayed at Inn on Ursulines. It's a fairly small Inn with only 15 rooms. We were only a few blocks away from Bourbon but yet still far enough to not get any of the wroughty noise. Perfect location.

I loved our little room. It had a very "New Orleans" feel to it. They say the street we stayed on is haunted...although we never had any spooky encounters, we definitely had a very distinct smell in our room {that we later found out could be linked to the smell of a not so friendly presence} and we also found an image in a picture we took while in the room. SPOOKY! {we prayed and all was well :)}

We had some time to kill before we met up with the rest of the party so we decided to get a drink to-go. We went to Lafitte's since it was a couple blocks away. Most of us got the Voodoo Daiquiri...didn't seem strong...until you ended up finishing it. Just sneaks right up on ya!

how cute are our shirts?!

We played some games and drank a bit more before heading out for the night. Isn't the bride to be just gorgeous?!

We opted for some food in our belly's before hitting up the bars. We didn't want to be THAT group. Locals recommended we go to Oceana so we went there. You guys! The food was so yummy!! Favorite item? Louisiana Crabmeat Cakes. They were to die for!

the sauce was amazing

Next up...Bourbon!!! I honestly didn't know what to expect when we went. I had heard some pretty scary things...rape, violence, drugs. I don't know if it's because we have 6th Street back home BUT it was definitely not intimidating at all. It's pretty much NOLA's version of 6th Street in Austin but on crack. It's insane but in a good way! We had such a great time!!

My buy of the night? This $11 drink at Saints & Sinners -totally worth it! The drink was super strong and I HAD to have the cup.

too bad we didn't run into Channing...

The following day we had some touring, eating and shopping planned. I wanted to be comfy since we were going to be doing a bit of walking. {by the end of the day i wish i would have brought sandals-ah oh well-what are you gonna do}

The weather was a bit humid and slightly warm so I decided on shorts and a tee. The distressed shorts are from Target in their Mossimo brand. I got these last year, I think, you can find similar ones here. The camo print tee just so happens to also be from Target. {can you tell i love Target?} My bag is from H&M and shoes are Converse. I am in love with this bar necklace I am wearing. It's really dainty and gold filled which is right up my alley! For all you Austin ladies or in surrounding cities, The Dainty Doe is local and all of her pieces are so pretty!!

Before we started with anything else we had to go Cafe Du Monde. We arrived around 9am and there was already a pretty huge line down the side of the Cafe. We decided to stand in the to-go line since it was a lot smaller and take our goodies to-go.

delish!

We ate our breakfast on the way to a swamp...we were going on a swamp tour! Exciting!! It was so interesting and we got to see some alligators!

meet Calvin

We even got to hold a baby 'gator! How cute!!

After our swamping adventure we went to the French Market District for food and shopping. I got some spices for back home and goodies for both the Mr. and M.

soft shell crab po-boy...super spicy!

A while back I started collecting mugs from places we visit and I was able to find a NOLA mug as well.

tea in the making-back of the mug has NOLA history

For dinner that evening we went to Gumbo Shop, another recommendation by locals. We absolutely LOVED the food. Their gumbo was amazing!

After dinner we walked around Bourbon {of course} and decided to see a show...Drag to be exact.

All I can say is....YAAAAAAAAAAS {plus 2 snaps of my fingers}. It was so much fun!!!

The ladies did such an amazing job! So glad we were able to watch this! Definitely an experience!!

The following morning we woke up to rain. So glad it held out until we left! However, that meant driving in it. That Patty sure was no joke! We had rain almost the whole way home. Thank God we arrived safe and sound.

There's nothing like home sweet home but I would not have traded the laughs and memories we made for anything. I'm hoping we make these "ladies only getaways" a yearly tradition.